Quick reference to resolving pulsating air issue cause by liftgate

[Zarwin]

I know there are multiple threads here referencing the pulsating air issue caused by the rear hatch. After thinking I had resolved the issue almost a year ago, I realized that there was an additional adjustment that could be made, and that there was some confusion as to what to adjust and how. So I thought I'd drop this post as a definitive reference for resolving the issue.

Issue
While driving, especially on rough surfaces, there is an air pressure pulsation that occurs, similar to what happens when one window is partially or completely down while the vehicle travels at high speeds. This pulsation may be very noticeable and annoying to some while being undetectable to others.

Cause
The rubber stoppers that the rear liftgate rest on are not adjusted properly and the liftgate is vibrating, causing the pulsations.

Fix
Adjust all four stoppers. Here is a reference pic of the stoppers and their locations.

Stopper A adjustment is easy. Get a thin slip of paper and place it on Base A. Close the liftgate. If you can easily slide the paper out, adjust Stopper A out a quarter of a turn and try again. When you can no longer pull the paper out easily, they should be in a good position. Do the same for the other side.

Drive the car around to see how this changed the pulsating issue and then adjust Stopper B if necessary

If you still have a pulsating issue, even a very minor issue (as I did), it will be resolved by adjusting Stopper B. I just extended Stopper B out a couple of turns on each side and the last little bit of pulsating went away completely. It's like a whole new car. I stopped there and didn't try to figure out a test for Stopper B. I'll note that just extending the stoppers all the way out is probably not the best idea, adjust them a little at a time until the issue is resolved.

 

[thecloud]

Thanks for the picture and clear description. Seems like something which ought to have been included in the manual.

 

[Andyw2100]

I had a ranger out today, and he did this adjustment, hoping to eliminate some wind noise I was still hearing.

I wanted to point out that at least on my P85D, with the automatic lift gate, there are four points of adjustment (not two.)

 

[CHG-ON]

Great job clarifying this ZARWIN!

I have not had this problem, but have heard that many have. Your clear and concise pictures make it so easy for anybody needing assistance.

Thank you so much!

 

[1ton]

I'm sure others will benefit from this! I had the same issue and I guess many others did as well. It was a slight annoyance but it was annoying none the less. I think there was a video too but this is very helpful.

 

[Zarwin]

I had a ranger out today, and he did this adjustment, hoping to eliminate some wind noise I was still hearing.

I wanted to point out that at least on my P85D, with the automatic lift gate, there are four points of adjustment (not two.)

I guess it wasn't clear that I was referring to all four stopper adjustments, but only show one on each side to keep the image from getting too cluttered. I'll edit to clarify.

EDIT: apparently I can't edit the original post now .. but hopefully it won't be confusing to others

 

[Duma]

Thanks for the clear description on this post. The fact that there are four adjustment points (2 on each side) was clear to me from the initial post.

I had this problem on my 85D delivered about 3 weeks ago and knew there were adjustment points. However, I only found the 2 adjustment points (B) on the body (this helped a lot) and overlooked the two on base of the liftgate (A). Adjusting these as well seems to fully cure the issue. Not much of an adjustment was needed on A, so those may have been done correctly at the factory and making a significant adjustment on B may have result in stops A needing a touch more.

So if you follow the recommended procedure of adjusting A and then B, recheck A with the paper test if your B adjust was a lot (more than 1/2 turn?).

 

[Zarwin]

Thanks for the clear description on this post. The fact that there are four adjustment points (2 on each side) was clear to me from the initial post.

I had this problem on my 85D delivered about 3 weeks ago and knew there were adjustment points. However, I only found the 2 adjustment points (B) on the body (this helped a lot) and overlooked the two on base of the liftgate (A). Adjusting these as well seems to fully cure the issue. Not much of an adjustment was needed on A, so those may have been done correctly at the factory and making a significant adjustment on B may have result in stops A needing a touch more.

So if you follow the recommended procedure of adjusting A and then B, recheck A with the paper test if your B adjust was a lot (more than 1/2 turn?).

Good idea on the re-check! Wish I could edit the original post...

For me it was a severe issue initially due to one of my "A" stoppers being turned all the way in, leaving an air gap between it and the base. For a while I thought there was a major seal/gasket issue with one of the doors or something. Both of my "B" stoppers were also turned all the way in, but I didn't realize they were adjustable until just recently. The "A" stopper adjustment fixed it 90% of the way and the "B" the last 10%....

 

[Foodnut]

My wife has been annoyed at this (it doesn't bother me as much).

I'm definitely going to try this later.

Thanks for the very informative post.

 

[victorg009]

This forum ans this thread is great! It took me 5 mins to adjust middle B stoppers to fix buffeting which annoyed me for a year. I even think buffeting made me sick for first couple month of driving MS, then I got used to it but still was annoyed.

 

[Bubba9]

Does anyone know if a similar issue exists with the hood in the front? There are these same four adjustments and I am wondering how they should be properly aligned. Are they just for straightening of the panel gaps or is there an appropriate way to set them?

 

[REX88]

I just joined the forum after getting my MYLR. I have done a lot of research on the noise as I am coming from a Lexus ES sedan Hybrid and have tested the BMW I4 and noticed the noise level is slightly higher than Lexus. have test driven the MYLR and decided to go for it and fix the issue. After experimenting a lot of recommendations from youtube and forums, I did fix it or at least quiet down the car to my personal acceptance level. So I am sharing this as I have gain alot if insight looking from all your posting. These are the steps I did.

1) Adding 2nd skins to the wheel well, the base of the car and tubs (yes have to open up the all the covers) - Very easy to open. Everything is not screwed down. Remove the clip and pull out all the covers.

2 Covering Dynapad Sound absorption on both Wheel well (inside the trunk). Just cover it (no glue) and then box back. This is designed to absorb low frequency (very thick rubber and foam combo) and fix the boominess. This was the biggest diff I notice. There will be some left over and I lay it across the tub. Buy from amazon here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KM5IZO?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

3) Adding a sunshade roof - If you want to go further - add an acoustic panel on the glass (don't buy the glue version as it's hard to remove if you regret it). Get nonstick and apply 4 small double-sided tapes to the side. - the panel is flat so the contact point is on the 4 edges. then cover it with the sun shade) The sunshade is flat, and the glass is curved so there is about an inch of space to slide the acoustic panel no top of it. Cools down the car in summer but it creates a very quiet cabin.

4) Adjusting the hatch stop - When I first got the car, I could slip a paper out easily. Now it's very tight - Fix the pressure issues.

5) Lowering the PSI to 40 on cold on my 19" Gemini wheel - Wow it softens the ride a lot, and way more quiet cabin. It did not affect my mileage at all. Just 2 PSI down from recommended. - Elon did mention that in his Twitter. If you like plush - go down to 39 on cold. That is about the max before it hits your mileage and the cornering

6) Added all weather strip on all 4 doors. I did not buy the kit as it still has gaps. I measured it and bought 3 types. The smaller one for the side of the door and the thicker one for the bottom of the door and the 3rd one for the front of the door.. I see a lot of people try this, and some say it did not work. Well that was because it was not the correct size and it did not seal it. The rubber seal has to be compressed when the door is close.

Side of the door here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K7H4VF8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1,

front door strip buy here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09969YWL2?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

and the thick one (bottom) buy here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GS57TX7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

So 3 diff strips to seal the sound and when you close the door, it's a solid thud sound. I did a test and pressure wash it. there is no water going through it - after 3 weeks, there is no dirt or dust on the inner floor panel where the door closes.

7) Add more dynapad mats to all floors under your regular mat. It will be thicker, but hey, it has a plush soft feel. So the passenger and back row are all covered with Dynapad mat, and then my weather mat on top of it. - It quiets down the cabin.

8) added a plush pillow for neck rest - This pillow sits very well and soft, and it absorbs the sound. Tried many, but this works best for sound adoption and the most comfortable - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NR249QT?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

So now, if I clap my hand in my tesla, it sounds very muted. No echo like an empty chamber, and the music sounds better now. No bass boominess. Overall it reduces 2 decibels on avg in a 75MPH on highway. These are the cheapest way to quiet down the cabin. - My Avg on highway is between 65 - 66 DB on sound meter - before it was lose to 68-70db. Its a lot of diff to me.